Electromagnetically operated bell jingler



April 22, 1952 F. PETTIT 2,593,917

ELECTROMAGNETICALLY OPERATED BELL JINGLER Filed June 7, 1950 50 :fm El 27 55 .....ri/ T1117- INVENTOR. FRANK P5 rvv-r I y 3 ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE ELECTROMAGNETICALLY OPERATED BELL JINGLER Frank Pettit, Union, N. J.

Application June 7, 1950, Serial No. 166,661

The present invention relates to electromagnetically operated bell jinglers suitable for use to operate jingle bells.

According to the present invention, the jingle bells are actuated by a solenoid operated plunger which is biased to one position by the weight of the dangling string lof jingle bells and pulled to the other position when the coil is energized. When the plunger is attracted, it acts to open the circuit, and the circuit is closed by the Weight of the jingle bells when the coil is deenergized. The device therefore acts to ring the bells at spaced intervals.

Inasmuch as these devices are intended for direct connection to the house power lines, the electrical parts are enclosed in some form of insulating housing through which the bell actuator itself projects. This actuator is insulated so that there is no danger from a shock when in contact with the string of jingle bells.

Other and further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

The accompanying drawings show, for purposes cf illustrating the present invention, two embodiments in which the invention may take form, it being understood that the drawings are illustrative of the invention rather than limiting the same. l

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a view illustrating a form of device in use on a Christmas tree;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through one form of construction, the circuit being closed;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2, the circuit being open;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail showing switch operation;

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram; and

Figure 7 is a view through a modified form of construction.

In the form shown in Figures l through 6, inclusive, the device is made up so as, to externally resemble a Christmas bell; It has an external bell-shaped insulating housing closed by an apertured plate 2|. The device is adapted to be hung from a Christmas tree in any suitable manner, generally from the conductor cord having supply wires indicated at 22, 23. The insulating housing receives a magnetic structure which, as shown in these figures, includes a U-shaped magnetic frame 23 having a long leg 25 and a short leg 26, a coil 21 and a plunger 28. One of the wires, for example, wire 22, is grounded to the frame 24, while the other wire 23 is connected to the coil. The other end of the coil is connected by wire 23 with iixed contact 29 carried on insulating support 30.

The long leg 25 of the magnet frame pivotally 15 Claims. (Cl. 177-7) Uli supports a movable contact member 3| cooperable with the xed contact 29 to complete the circuit. The movable contact 3| has a center strap 3| and two spring legs 32, 32 entering the notch 33 and the long leg 25 of the magnet frame, and an apertured tail piece 34 through which passes a stiff wire or strap 35, notched as indicated at 36. The contact member is apertured as indicated at 3l to receive an extension 38 of the plunger 28. 'I'his extension is preferably a part of an insulating stem 39, and is threaded into the bottom end of the plunger as indicated in Figure 5.

When this device hangs in the pendant position, the insulating tip 39 carried by the armature of the magnet coil extends down through the opening in the closing plate at the bottom of the bell-shaped housing. 'I'his insulating tip supports through a suitable swivel 40 a string of jingle bellsf 4| so that the weight of the bells is at least partially supported by the insulating tip 39. The load on the tip causes the lower end 28 of plunger 28 to engage the upper surface of the movable contact 3| and hold it onto the xed contact 29. Y When the coil is energized, the plunger is attracted from the low position of Figure 2 up to the position of Figure 3. This movement is sudden and lifts the string of bells. It also brings the upper shouldered end 39 of the insulating tip 39 against a lower surface of the contact 3| and shifts it up. When the contact is shifted far enough up to bring the center strap 3 above the center line of the notches in the members 35 and 25, the contact snaps up. The circuit being opened by the attraction of the armature, the coil is deenergized and the weight on the tip 39 pulls the plunger back down. In this down Amovementthe lower end of the plunger engages the movable contact.l and moves it past the center line so that it snaps closed. This reenergizes the coiland the operation continues as long as the device is connected with the power line.

To minimize sparking, a condenser 42 is connected as indicated in Figure 6. The timing of the bell jingling operation is controlled by adjusting the tip 39 relative to the tip 28 so as to vary the spacing between the shoulders 28 and 39.

VIn the form of the construction shown in Figure 7, the magnetic coil 21 is mounted horizontally. Here, however, the insulating tip 50 is connected to the bell crank member 5|, pivoted at 52. The string of bells 53 hangs from this bell crank member and is operated in the same way as before. Here the insulating casing 54 may take any convenient shape to hold the parts, and the bell crank member 5| projects out through an opening 55 in, the casing. A

Since it is obvious that the invention may be embodied in other forms and constructions within the scope of the claims, I wish it to be understood that the particular forms shown are but two of these forms, and various modifications and changes being possible, I do not otherwise limit myself in any way with respect thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a jingler, in combination, a string of bells adapted to be sounded by sudden up and down movements, a solenoid, an armature gravity biased to one position by the weight of the string of bells and magnetically shifted to another position in which it lifts the string of bells, and an armature operated switch in the circuit of the solenoid, the switch being opened when the armature is magnetically attracted and closed when the armature is released.

2. A jingler such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the solenoid axis is vertical, the armature is a vertically movable plunger and the switch includes a movable arm operated by the armature.

3. A jingler such as claimed in claim 1, wherein the armature includes a vertically movable plunger and the movable Contact of the switch has a lost motion connection with the armature.

4. A jingler such as claimed in claim 1, having a coil-and-armature-enclosing housing of insulating material with a hole in the bottom through which the upper end of the string of bells passes to the armature.

5. In a combination, a solenoid coil having a. vertical axis, a frame, extending below the coil and carrying an insulated contact in the coil circuit, a plunger type armature having a reduced diameter portion to provide two spaced shoulders, a string of bells secured to the armature and hanging downwardly, a cooperative movable contact member pivoted to the frame and having an opening through which the reduced portion of the armature passes, the upper shoulder resting on the movable contact to hold it on the insulated contact to close the coil circuit, the lower shoulder being engageable with the contact on attraction of the armature to open the circuit.

6. An electrcmagnetically operable jingler for jingle bells comprising a solenoid coil, a vertically movable armature having a predetermined range of movement, and secured to the jingle bells so that the weight of the bells is supported from the armature, a stop member which limits the lowering of the armature, a xed contact connected to the coil, a movable contact cooperable with the iixed contact to close the circuit to the coil, and an armature carried shoulder below the movable contact to engage said movable contact when the armature is lifted to thereby open the coil circuit.

7. In combination, an inverted U-shaped magnet frame adapted to be connected to one side of a power line, a coil carried on the magnet frame and having one side connected to the other power line, the frame having two downward extensions, an upwardly facing contact carried by one extension, insulated from the frame and connected to the coil, a movable contact pivoted to the other extension and extending across the frame and above the xed contact, the movable contact having an aperture aligned with the coil axis, a plunger' type armature in the coil, normally resting on top of the movable contact and having an extension passing through the aperture in the movable contact, an insulating tip carried by the extension below the movable contact, and a string of jingle bells hanging from the insulating tip and supported by the movable contact, the insulating tip being engageable with the movable contact to open the coil circuit on energie/ation of the coil.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein the movable contact carries an over-the-center snap spring to snap the circuit open and closed.

9. The combination of claim 8 having an insulating housing provided with a hole on the bottom for the insulating tip.

l0. A jingler having a U-shaped magnet frame, a solenoid coil mounting in the magnet frame, a power line connection to the coil and to the magnet frame, a plunger type armature in the coil and attractable into the coil upon energization thereof, the armature having an outwardly lacing shoulder, an insulating tip carried by the armature and having an inwardly facing shoulder spaced from the first shoulder, a string of dangling bells operably connected to the tip to pull the plunger outwardly, the frame having a conducting extension at one side beyond the end of the coil, an insulating extension carried by the other side of the frame opposite the first extension and carrying a contact facing the coil, a connection from the contact to the coil, a movable contact carried by the conducting extension and cooperable with the insulated contact to open and close the coil circuit, the rst shoulder being brought against the movable contact by the bells to close the circuit, the other shoulder engaging the contact on energization of the magnet to open the circuit.

1l. A jingler as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plunger is vertical and the strinsr cf bells hang directly from the tip.

12. A jingler as claimed in claim 10, wherein the plunger is horizontal and the connection between the tip and the string of bells includes a bell crank.

13. A jingler as claimed in claim lO, wherein the tip and plunger have threaded connections to facilitate adjustment of shoulder spacing and the timing of the bell operation.

14. A jingler as claimed in claim l0, having an insulating housing about the coil, the contacts and the magnet frame and apertured for the bell connection.

15. A Christmas tree ornament comprising a bell shaped, pendant, insulating body having a chamber forming bottom wall provided with an opening, a solenoid coil mounted in the body, an attractable armature, an insulated armature extension passing through the casing, a string of dangling jingle bells secured to the armature extension to bias it to one position, a normally closed circuit closer in series with the coil, and armature carried means to open the circuit closer on energization of the coil so that the circuit is opened and the armature is returned.

FRANK PETTIT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,231,298 Reinkr June 26, 1917 2,100,908 Merdan Nov. 30, 1937 2,515,439 Bronson July 18, 1950 2,546,389 Damast Mar. 27, 1951 

